->''"There are two ways of getting home; and one of them is to stay there."''-->-- '''Creator/GKChesterton'''

At the end of a story about a character being immersed in a new world which they may ''hate'' or not, whether they're [[FreakyFridayFlip trapped in the wrong body]], [[FishOutOfTemporalWater warped to another time]] [[TrappedInAnotherWorld or dimension]], or [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking forced to move in with their in-laws]], there is often a scene at the very end where it's all over and now [[ButNowIMustGo they get to go back]] to their old, beloved lifestyle.

But... ''wait''! What's this? The new environment has apparently grown on the character so much, that they don't ''want'' to go back? They choose to stay in their new environment and live happily ever after? [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming Awwwwwwww.]] How touching.

It can also be a consequence of HeroicResolve. The hero may have a conflicting choice: yes, he ''can'' leave the war and go home, but if he does so, the war will continue and his friends will be killed or enslaved. Perhaps the hero is TheChosenOne, and with this role ComesGreatResponsibility. By choosing to stay and rejecting the chance to leave, the hero proves that he is not the victim of DeusAngstMachina, but that he willingly accepts the harsh conditions on behalf of the others... the basic definition of heroism.

A LoveInterest can also be a factor. Indeed, this trope is often encouraged by a FantasticRomance. By choosing this trope, the hero may think that YouAreWorthHell or otherwise more important than what's on the other side. No StarCrossedLovers here!

The opposite of ButNowIMustGo. Often a result of BecomingTheMask. See also GoingNative, HomeSweetHome, and SendMeBack. Compare StayWithTheAliens and CantStayNormal.

'''SPOILERS GALORE.'''

----!!Examples:

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[[folder:Anime and Manga]]* In ''Alice in Sexland'', Alice makes the heartfelt decision to stay.* In a [[TearJerker Tear Jerking]] example, Komugi of ''Manga/HunterXHunter'' decided to stay by Meruem's side until his death, despite knowing doing so would infect her with the toxin killing him and lead to her death as well. They pass away, TogetherInDeath.* In ''Anime/FullmetalAlchemistTheConquerorOfShamballa'', Edward and Alphonse Elric decide to stay at the other side of the gate, in what's pretty much our world, so that they can close the gate and stop more people crossing over to Amestris.* Rock, from ''Manga/BlackLagoon''. He chose to stay with the Lagoon Company, the same pirates who kidnapped him after he learned that his company had decided [[HeKnowsTooMuch it was easier to just kill him along with the rest and cover up what they were doing than try to rescue him]].* ''LightNovel/TheTwelveKingdoms'' has Youko decide to stay in the Twelve Kingdoms after finding out how much chaos would be created by her leaving. How she would die within a few years if she left ''and'' the way she was generally treated there were also quite the factors to consider.* ''Anime/NowAndThenHereAndThere'' ends up with the pregnant heroine Sara sticking around to make the future world a bit less [[CrapsackWorld crapsack]].* The heroine of ''Manga/FromFarAway'' stays in the fantasy world she was sucked into, for love of course. She's still able to contact her family via her journals and her and Izark are still trying to come up with a way for them to travel back and forth between the two worlds.* ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' has this in spades with Shiki, who is flat-out told by Arcueid multiple times that he doesn't have to help her hunt Dead Apostles anymore. Regardless, [[HurricaneOfExcuses Shiki just keeps finding new reasons to stay.]]* ''Anime/YuGiOhGX'': Misawa apparently stayed behind in the other dimension at the end of Season 3, apparently to live with his "wife", Taniya and because he felt he could be of more use there than back on Earth, where he would always be outshone in dueling by Judai, Manjoume, Edo, and Hell Kaiser.* At the end of the first arc of ''LightNovel/TheFamiliarOfZero'', Saito goes to battle for Louise instead of flying into an eclipse and returning to his own world. [[{{Tsundere}} Her response is scolding and a kiss]]. * ''Anime/MazeMegaburstSpace'': Maze decides not to return to her home world after defeating the BigBad of her series.* ''Manga/AnatoliaStory'''s Yuri gives up her last chance to go home in order to save Kail, thus fully becoming [[TheHighQueen his partner and Queen]]. It also crosses with YouAlreadyChangedThePast.* ''Franchise/{{Digimon}}''** ''Anime/DigimonAdventure'': The Digidestined nearly do this at the end, not wanting to be separated from their Digimon but are ultimately convinced to go back. Luckily the separation doesn't last long.** Played straight in ''Anime/DigimonSavers'': Marcus/Masaru stays behind in the Digital world with Agumon, even after the gate gets closed, presumably forever.* Creator/RumikoTakahashi seems to love this trope.** Her first published work, ''Fire Tripper'', is a story about a time traveling girl named Suzuko who finds love in the feudal age, and decides to stay in the past with her new found boyfriend Shukumaru [[spoiler:(really Shuu, a boy from her original time she used to babysit)]].** Her longest work so far, ''Manga/InuYasha'' is a story about a time traveling girl, who finds love in the feudal age, and decides eventually to stay in the past with her new found boyfriend (really a [[HalfHumanHybrid half demon]] with a really long story). The difference in length between the two works? 557 Chapters.* Holo from ''LightNovel/SpiceAndWolf'' choose to stay with Lawrence despite occasions where she could ditch him, such as finding other wolf deities or the location of Yoitsu. Her excuse is "being indebted to Lawrence".* In ''The Disappearance of LightNovel/HaruhiSuzumiya,'' Kyon is given the opportunity to leave the SOS Brigade and Haruhi's fantastic world of aliens, time travelers, and espers, both of which he's complained about for the entirety of the series up to this point, behind him, and start a new life. The offer comes complete with new friends to make and even a potential love interest, but in one of the most moving [[InnerMonologue inner monologues]] in the series, he decides that he can't leave that world behind, even going so far as to say he'd have to be an idiot to walk away from it all.--> Kyon's Mind: I'll ask one last time. Answer clearly. Don't I find being with Haruhi, and being dragged into Haruhi's troubles fun? Answer me!--> Kyon: Of course I do! Of course it was fun! Don't ask me something so obvious!* In ''Anime/EurekaSeven'' episode 47, Eureka said this to Renton when they hugged each other. In the final episode, what she said came true as half of the Coralians left except her. Making her the known LastOfHerKind. In the movie version, she also made the same choice despite knowing life would be harsh because she can get to be with her lover Renton. ** Same can be said for Renton when he can just leave Gekko after episode 26 but he choose to stay for Eureka's sake. Holland even gave everyone on board the Gekko the chance to leave while they still can in episode 33, but no one did anyway.* In the epilogue of ''Anime/AngelBeats'', Otonashi choose to stay back in the afterlife to aid others to pass on even though he has no more regrets left and can leave anytime. [[spoiler:It's hinted that he ''does'' pass on eventually, though.]]* Brock pulls this at the beginning of the Orange Islands arc of ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'', deciding to stay with Professor Ivy to help in her research. He rejoins Ash and Misty in the following season, [[NoodleIncident refusing to give a reason why he left her, other then "don't mention that name".]]* Subverted with Vivi in ''Manga/OnePiece''. She joined the Straw Hats to help save her country and grew very close to them. When the Straw Hats invited her to stay with them as they were fleeing Alabasta from the marines, she nearly considered it and it looked like she was going to join them. Instead, she tearfully told the Straw Hats that she decided to stay and help rebuild her country. * It's heavily implied that this is what ancient heroine Adel from ''Anime/DogDays'' did. It's a likely ending for the protagonist, as well, given what a SugarBowl Flonyard is, how it allows him to engage in athletics in ways that Earth can't, [[FantasticRomance how he has a girlfriend of sorts there]], and how well he fits in with the citizens of Biscotti. And his cousin and his friend from Earth are also both too right to Flonyard, so the same applies to them.* ''LightNovel/AiNoKusabi'' ends with a very touching, albeit tragic, version of this. [[spoiler: Riki ''could'' have left Iason to FaceDeathWithDignity, after he got his legs cut off and the place they were in caught fire. He instead chooses to stay by Iason's side and share OneLastSmoke with him before they're TogetherInDeath.]]* At one point in ''LightNovel/SwordArtOnline'', Kirito decides to give up and tries to convince his wife Asuna that they should just live the rest of their lives in the video game instead of trying to [[WinToExit beat it and escape]]. Asuna quickly points out that is not an option because they would be leaving everybody else trapped as well, and their real world bodies on life support will eventually die, plus [[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming she wants to be with him in the real world]]. Kirito regains his resolve and they continue on the quest to beat the game.* In the ''Manga/GetterRobo'' anime reboot ''New Getter Robo'', Ryouma decides to stay in the stay in the Getter world to try to defeat what appears to be the [[EldritchAbomination Getter Emperor]]. [[AlternateCharacterInterpretation It may be because, after feeling the adrenaline high of piloting the Getter Robo, he can't go back to a normal life]]; it's left ambiguous.* The main cast of ''Anime/SengokuCollection'' are {{Gender Flip}}ped versions of generals from medieval Japan and China who have arrived in our world. Oda Nobunaga works to return to her world by claiming secret treasures from others. If those treasures are taken, their previous owner ''can't'' go home. However, there are several, like Ieyasu, who prefer this world and willingly hand their treasures over.* In ''LightNovel/NoGameNoLife'', after getting over the initial shock of being transported to Disboard and learning the rules of the world, Sora and Shiro consider Disboard a paradise. They comment on how normally, the protagonist of a TrappedInAnotherWorld story does everything to get home, but they considered their lives on Earth to be sucky, where only gaming satisfied them. In Disboard, the best gamer has all the power. * Discussed in ''[[Manga/YuushaGojoKumiaiKouryuugataKeijiban Hero Union BBS]]''. After deciding that living in his home universe on earth isn't as great as staying in one of the worlds he saved as a hero, Freeter decides to do this the next time a summoning circle appears. Student wonders why he didn't do this the other 23 times he was summoned to a different universe.* A very interesting version happens in ''Anime/GoPrincessPrettyCure'': [[spoiler:Towa, freed from being Princess Twilight and now taking up the mantle of Cure Scarlett, decides to join the team after that first transformation. This essentially went against the norm for HeelFaceTurn Cures as [[Anime/FreshPrettyCure Cure Passion]] and [[Anime/SuitePrettyCure Cure Beat]] both ran off after their first transformation and spend a few episodes angsting over their actions as Eas and Seiren respectively before ultimately joining their respective teams.]]* Tohru from ''Manga/MissKobayashisDragonMaid'' has stated several times that she has no interest in going back to her world. However, since she can freely create inter-dimensional portals (even doing so several times [[MundaneUtility to pick up ingredients for a meal]]), it's more of a change of address than anything else.* Haruhi in ''Manga/OuranHighSchoolHostClub'' unwillingly joins a Host Club out of debt, and a lot of the show's humor stems from how annoyed she is with the club and their shenanigans, being frequently dragged into their ploys when she'd much rather study or just stay at home. When the time comes around that her debt has been paid, however, (which happens at very different times in the anime and manga), she realizes she's grown to care for the guys and the club so much that she stays with them. * In ''Anime/KurageNoShokudo'', Youtarou decides to stay with Arashi rather than go back home. Before he makes it official, Arashi tells Youtarou to contact his parents to let them know that he's safe.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Card Games]]* This is the theme of the ''Oath of the Gatewatch'' set of ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'', where Zendikar is being ravaged by the Eldrazi. The titular Gatewatch is a group of Planeswalkers (Gideon Jura, Jace Beleren, Chandra Nalaar and Nissa Revane) who could leave the plane at any time, but instead choose to remain and fight the Eldrazi for the sake of the multiverse.

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[[folder:Comic Books]]* Subverted in ''ComicBook/{{Amulet}}'' in that when the heroine announces that she must stay in the fantasy world, her mother declares that in that case, the whole family will too.* In ''ComicBook/TransformersShatteredGlass'', Cliffjumper from ''Franchise/TransformersGeneration1'' finds himself in a MirrorUniverse where the Autobots are evil, the Decepticons are good, etc. He joins the Decepticons to fight the good fight. When he is offered a chance to return to his own universe, he declines, at least until the evil Optimus Prime is finally defeated. * Luke Cage, during Comicbook/CivilWar. He told his wife to leave the country with their son, but he stayed. There is a war, and he must fight it. ** Captain America had a similar offer by Cable, who proposed him political asylum in providence. Captain America rejected it. * ComicBook/TheHulk spent the first few issues of ''PlanetHulk'' plotting to return to Earth and take revenge on his friends for exiling him to a life of slavery. Once he's finally freed by the Silver Surfer, the Surfer offers to return him home; Hulk says that he's already there. Unfortunately, this is only the halfway point of the story...* At the end of ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'', the Uncle Ben of a nuclear wasteland decides to stay in the ComicBook/MarvelComics2 universe, deciding that it was time to start trying to be something than a washed up superhero.* At the end of ''[[ComicBook/{{Convergence}} Convergence: Shadow of the Bat #2]]'', Jean-Paul Valley opts to stick around to protect Metropolis while Batman goes and deals with Telos.* American Chibi chooses to stay in the computer-game world in ''ComicBook/AstroCity''; she realizes that the Unbodied helped create her from the subconscious of computer game designer Marguerite Li as part of a plan to invade the Earth from their dimension, so she decides to stay to fight them on their own turf in order to foil their invasion plans. The Assemblyman is working on a transdimensional communicator so she can contact Honor Guard, and Li is writing additional code into the game to provide Chibi with friends and allies and give her every advantage she can.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Fic]]* Quite common in the ''Literature/HarryPotter'' fandom:** A particularly common variant has two characters get accidentally "bonded" (in {{Fanon}}, a magical marriage in which the two parties are connected in body and mind, usually having to live together and spend a considerable amount of time together). The characters in question usually [[FoeYay hate each other]] initially, but as they are forced to be together they become friends and gradually fall in love with each other. When someone finally figures out how to end the bond, one of the following things usually happens: Either they have already figured out that they are in love and they choose to stay bonded, or they are in denial, end the bond, realise that they miss each other and re-bond.** In ''Harry Potter and the Mists of Avalon'', Harry is [[GenderBender turned into a girl]] by a potion gone wrong. Much later, an antidote to the potion is developed, but by then she has spent so much time as a girl that she chooses not to change back.* Similarly in the ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries'' fandom. Whoops, AuthorAvatar accidentally bonded with Spock! Can't go find a Vulcan Mind Healer now, we're in the middle of a mission! By the time they do get to one, [[TheSpock Spock]] has fallen in love and they all live happily ever after. [[SarcasmMode Awww]].* ''Fanfic/PinkPersonalHellAndAlteringFate'' ends this way, with Dominic/Nickel Steel deciding to stay in Ponyville. * In a roundabout way this happens in ''Fanfic/WhiteDevilOfTheMoon''. [[spoiler: Of the four Inner Senshi only Ami chooses to go to Mid-Childa and continue to study magic and the Moon Kingdom, while the others resume normal lives on Earth.]]* A very common aspect of the Human-In-Equestria genre of [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic pony]] fanfiction. Sometimes, we see this happen with Pony-On-Earth too.* In ''FanFic/OriginStory'', Alex Harris justifies not fleeing to some other country because she's an American, and this is America and she's not going to be run out of her own country. Besides that, she doesn't know how to speak any other languages. She also justifies finally taking a stand against SHIELD, the Avengers, and the Registration Act itself in Miami because she's tired of running and its time someone stands up to the bullies who are running the US government.* ''FanFic/BeingDeadAintEasy'' has a very dark version in the penultimate chapters. [[spoiler:Seto Kaiba refuses Joey's help and wants to stay in the Soul Room, trapped in his own mind forever]]. * ''FanFic/MyLittleTitan'' (a ''WesternAnimation/TeenTitans'' and ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'' crossover): After rescuing the Mane Six (and Spike), whom they've been filling in for while they were imprisoned by the BigBad of the story, the Titans chose to remain in Equestria, in ponified bodies, rather than return to their original world. [[spoiler: They do send a message (courtesy of Discord) back to the other Titans and Batman so they won't worry about the group, letting them know that they've opted to retire from hero work, though they don't say where they've retired to. Also, Melvin manages to bring her little brothers back to stay with her. Starfire's pet Silkie also manages to somehow cross over and rejoin her.]]* Done both ways in ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10448834/36/Six-Paths-of-Rebellion Six Paths of Rebellion]]'' after the Black Rebellion. A large number of Britannians stay in the newly created United States of Japan either because they view it as their home or because they've been disavowed by Britannia. On the flip side, Suzaku leaves Japan for Britannia because he insists that Zero freed it the wrong way and plans to reconquer Japan and rule it as the Knight of One.* ''FanFic/TheDifferentverse'': After Nightmare Moon's defeat, Twilight and Moondancer decide to stay in Ponyville with their new friends, and Marble also decides to stay with Pinkie rather than return to the family rock farm. * ''FanFic/TheLionsDen'' has a negative example of this: at the end, Naegi decides to stay with Ultimate Despair not because he wants to help stop them, [[spoiler: but because he himself has fallen into despair.]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Fan Works]]* At the end of ''Nescaflowne'' (a GagDub of ''Anime/TheVisionOfEscaflowne),'' Hitme returns home as in the original, but quickly realizes that leaving her one true love and a land of fantastic adventures to be an OrdinaryHighSchoolStudent again was a really stupid thing to do. [[spoiler: [[FixFic Thankfully, Juan shows up on Nescaflowne and takes her back with him.]]]][[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Animated]]* Subverted in ''WesternAnimation/BarbieInTheNutcracker''. [[spoiler: The lead female decides she doesn't want to go home, but then the BigBad, having been thought to be defeated, returns and activates the device she'd been given to send her home. She then vanishes and [[AllJustADream wakes up]] in the real world]].* [[Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon Disney]] likes this trope a lot.** It's played straight in ''Disney/BrotherBear''. When Kenai chooses to become a bear again, it is the least he can do for Koda after all he has done to him. It's repeated in the sequel!** And ''Disney/AtlantisTheLostEmpire'', Milo chooses to stay in Atlantis while his friends decide to leave with the gold ** And ''Disney/{{Hercules}}''. This one's a bit different, though--technically, Herc had been living as a mortal most of his life, and living as a god would be the "different" bit for him. Not only does he get to keep the girl, he gets to keep the mortal parents he grew up with--who, if the "Zero to Hero" number is any indication, he has been ''extremely'' good to with his fame and wealth. (And Zeus can always keep in touch via giant moving statues, anyway.)*** Also, if we have the myth as reference, then it means he will become a god once he dies.** And in ''Disney/{{Tarzan}}''. Not only does Tarzan turn down a chance return to human civilization, Jane and her father make a last-minute decision to stay in the jungle with Tarzan.* ''WesternAnimation/FlushedAway'' has a slightly altered example. The hero actually ''does'' leave but decides to go back in order to defeat the BigBad and make amends with his LoveInterest, and makes it clear that he intends to stay with her as he departs his old home.* In the "Den" story in ''WesternAnimation/HeavyMetal'', the title character chooses to stay in Neverwhere saying "On Earth, I'm nobody, but here, I'm Den!" It helps that back home, he was a scrawny, nerdy virgin, but when he arrived in that world, he had a statuesque physique and hot chicks were throwing themselves at him.* ''WesternAnimation/TheRoadToElDorado'': Miguel decides to stay in El Dorado ("isn't king kind of a step-down from god?") but at the last second he has to jump onboard Tulio's ship to help him make a clean getaway (they were sealing the city as they left because a conquistador was on his way). Regardless, they decide to blaze another trail in America instead of returning to Europe.* Parodied at the end of ''WesternAnimation/TheSpongeBobMovieSpongeOutOfWater''. [[spoiler:After the villain is defeated, Squidward wants to stay on land in his Sour Note form, because, in his words, "I am a ''god''!" However, [=SpongeBob=] writes on the magical page for everything to be back to the way it was at the start of the film. With the modification of giving Squidward "rock-hard abs"]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Film -- Live-Action]]* In ''Film/TheAdventuresOfPriscillaQueenOfTheDesert'' the character played by Terence Stamp chooses to stay in the outback with a new love interest instead of going back to Sydney.* In James Cameron's ''Film/{{Avatar}}'', the characters who stay behind really do not have much of a choice. If they leave they will most likely be arrested and tried for crimes against mankind. Once they committed to helping the Na'vi they really had nowhere else to go. Jake feels otherwise. He joins the Na'vi in the most literal sense.%%* Casey Brown in ''{{Candleshoe}}''.%%* ''Film/TheCatFromOuterSpace''.* At the end of ''Film/{{Congo}}'', Amy decides to stay with the gorillas she found, leaving behind a parting gift of a flower to her "mama" Peter.* In ''Film/{{Crossworlds}}'', Joe, excuse me, ''[[DoNotCallMePaul Joseph]]'' is reluctantly pulled into the fight between the EvilSorcerer Ferris and LaResistance, even though it's made clear that, should Ferris get his hands on the scepter, he'll use it to collapse TheMultiverse into a MergedReality that he would then conquer. By the end, though, ''Joe'' has accepted his role in all this and accepts LaResistance's offer to continue working for them as their agent in our world. As a bonus point, he gets the hot blonde ActionGirl he's been seeing in his dreams.* In ''Film/District9'', the protagonist decides to stay on the alien ship, intending to return to Earth in three years.* Maybe not the happiest version, but in ''Film/{{Doomsday}}'', [[spoiler:Eden, a native Scot whose mother managed to get her out just ahead of the border being sealed, decides to stay after her mission is complete, and apparently becomes the ruler of the tribe of wild cannibal people by [[KlingonPromotion killing her predecessor]].]]* ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'': Giselle decides to stay in "real world" New York instead of returning to the fantasy world Andalasia, because that is where her real true love lives. She even starts up a boutique. She effectively switches places with her romantic rival, who runs off to Andalasia with the prince.* Creator/HGWells' ''Film/TheFirstMenInTheMoon'' (1964). As the Earthlings prepare to escape the Moon, Cavor decides to stay behind with the Selenites.* ''Film/GroundhogDay'': At the end of the film, when the looping stops and the storm ends, Phil declares "Let's live here!"* The movie version of ''Film/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy'': Arthur is offered the opportunity to return to a recreation of his home on Earth, exactly (well, without the imminent demolition by Prosser) like he left it. He chooses to stay with Ford, Zaphod and Trillian and continue exploring the galaxy.* ''Film/HotFuzz'' ends with Nicolas staying in Sanford.* In ''Film/HotTubTimeMachine'', [[spoiler:Lou chooses to stay his younger self in 1986 [[TheSlowPath and relive his life]], instead of going back to 2010 with his friends. Adam also chooses to stay behind, but ends up falling into the hot tub during the return trip]].* Subverted in ''Film/{{Idiocracy}}''. Joe and Rita decide to stay in the crapsack world future rather than take a time machine back to the year 2005. [[spoiler:Although it turns out the time machine is actually an amusement park ride called the "Time Masheen", [[FutureImperfect which offers a strange take on history]].]]* Ben Affleck's character in Kevin Smith's ''Film/JerseyGirl''. For that matter, Dante in ''Film/ClerksII''.* Film/JohnCarter spends half the film trying to figure out a way to get back to Earth/Jasoom, but, at the end, he decides to stay on Mars/Barsoom. [[spoiler:As soon as he throws away the transportation medallion, he's ambushed and sent back by [[BigBad Matai Shang]]. He then spends a decade trying to find a way back to Mars]].* Will stays in the ''Film/LandOfTheLost'' in the 2009 film adaptation.* Captain Algren returns to the samurai village where he had been held after capture in ''Film/TheLastSamurai''.* Occurs in ''Film/TheLastStarfighter'', where Alex overcomes his original reluctance to get involved with Xur and stays with the Star League.* Subverted in ''Lost Treasures of the Grand Canyon''. Doctor Thain offers to stay with the natives in exchange for his team being spared and set free, even though it means he'll die once they realize he isn't a god. As the group leaves the secret city, weeping at the loss of their friend, Thain comes careening down the hill and quickly explains that he decided not to stay after all, distracted his captors by setting a suit of armor on fire and making it seem like it was himself, and that they'd all better hurry up and get out of there before they figure it out. All in the span of about two minutes.* Chico decides to stay in the village at the end of ''Film/TheMagnificentSeven''.%%* Also ''Film/TheManWhoWouldBeKing,'' except not quite. Disappointed natives are a bitch, aren't they?* In the ''Film/MastersOfTheUniverse'', the Earth sheriff that had been somewhat of an InspectorJavert distinguishes himself in the final battle with Skeletor's forces. He decides to stay on Eternia where he's a hero.* Subverted and played straight in ''Film/MidnightInParis''.** Adrianna travels back in time from Paris in the 1920s to the 1890s, which she views as the city's GoldenAge, and decides to stay.** Gil, having travelled from his present of 2010 to meet Adrianna in the 1920s (''his'' idea of Paris' GoldenAge) and then gone further back with her to the 1890s, realises the danger of nostalgia and returns to his present.* This is what Gonzo in ''Film/MuppetsFromSpace'' decides after meeting his long-lost family. While he's grateful for his fellow Gonzos for going through the trouble of locating and visiting him on Earth, he can't go with them, as he wants to stay with his fellow MuppetShow castmates.* ''Film/ThePatriot'' has a rare villainous example. Colonel Tavington, who has little regard for TheLawsAndCustomsOfWar, agrees to take responsibility for his own war crimes while hunting down the Colonial Militia so Cornwallis can keep his record clean. He is unconcerned that this will dishonor him back home in England, since he has already decided to settle in America once the war is over.* Reese Witherspoon's character in ''Film/{{Pleasantville}}''.* ''Film/{{Purgatory}}'': The coachman [[spoiler:gives Sonny the chance to join him, no questions asked. Sonny opts to stay in Refuge, with Rose]].* Two times in ''Film/RiseOfThePlanetOfTheApes'' [[spoiler:when Caesar chose to stay with his fellow simians and lead them rather than return home with Will]].* ''Film/{{Stargate}}'' ends with Daniel Jackson choosing to stay on Abydos. This example's a bit different in that Daniel's life back on Earth was fairly crappy -- he was the laughingstock of the archaeological community, he'd just been evicted from his apartment and was carrying everything he owned in two suitcases -- while on Abydos he was considered a hero and married to the Abydonian leader's daughter. [[Series/StargateSG1 Too bad for him it didn't stick...]]* A strange version of this in the ''Film/StarTrek'' reboot movie. After the [[EarthShatteringKaboom demise of Vulcan]], Spock is ready to leave Starfleet and help with reestablishing a new Vulcan society. After some words with a very [[AlternateUniverse wise old man]], Spock reconsiders, remains in Starfleet, reclaiming his place as First Officer of the ''Enterprise''.* In the live-action ''Film/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesIII'', the Turtles and April are sent back in time to feudal Japan. At the end of the movie, Michelangelo decides he wants to stay since the Turtles had gained the people's respect and adoration and he wouldn't have to live in secrecy in the sewer, and Leonardo and Raphael briefly consider this as well. Meanwhile, Donatello and April adamantly want to go back to their modern lives in New York. Ultimately they're convinced to return together.* At the end of ''Film/ThorTheDarkWorld'', Thor decides to [[spoiler: go back to earth]] to be with Jane. He even abdicates the throne of Asgard to do so.* In ''Film/{{Timeline}}'', archaeologist Andre Marek choose to stay in 1357 with Lady Clare, a girl he fell in love with, and saved from her [[ScrewDestiny historic fate]] of being murdered. It is later discovered that the last archeological find he was working on before he went to the past ''was his own tomb''.* Happens at the end of the 2002 film adaptation of ''Film/{{The Time Machine|2002}}''. This is partly because he's lost everything he values in his original time, and partly because he had to blow up the Time Machine to destroy the Morlocks.** However, the act of blowing up the time machine instead of using it to escape himself qualifies as this trope.** The end of the film also overlays Alexander's future with his past, showing his friend visiting his now-empty house and offering a job to his house maid. He then tells her that he hopes Alexander never comes back, since it would mean that he chose to stop living in misery and employed this trope.* The 2007 ''Film/{{Transformers}}'' movie has the Autobots staying on Earth. [[DoomedHometown Not that they really had anywhere else to go]] in that particular continuity.** Also notable is [[spoiler:one of Bumblebee's only spoken lines: "I wish to stay with the boy."]]* In ''Film/TropicThunder'', Tugg Speedman decides to stay behind the village, believing he can become an adoptive father to a local child. Turns out the child happens to be utterly bloodthirsty, and he changes his mind.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Literature]]* ''Literature/TheWarOfTheFlowers'': Theo is a [[ChangelingFantasy literal changeling]] who gets dragged to Faerie. At the end of the book, he finally surrenders his dream of returning to the mundane world in which he was raised, which is fortunate since, by the laws of Faerie, he can't anyway.* Aly in Creator/TamoraPierce's ''[[Literature/TortallUniverse Daughter of the Lioness]]'' duology pulls a twofer: literally, by remaining in the Copper Isles instead of returning to Tortall, and figuratively, by becoming a Spymaster instead of a field agent as she originally desired.* ''Literature/RangersApprentice'' has pulled this ''twice'' now with Will and the rangers. There's not a lot of suspense, though, for anyone who's looked at the title.* In Creator/AnneMcCaffrey's ''Literature/{{Catteni}}'' series:** Zainal, a Catteni military officer mistakenly sent to the slave colony world, Botany (named by the humans placed there) rebuffs several attempts by the slavemasters to take him back home. The first out of spite: he knows the dockmaster responsible for his being there will be punished for it, if he stays long enough for the right people to notice his absence. Later on, it's because he's come to respect the humans who've managed to carve out a place for themselves (one female in particular) and wanted to stay and help them. We find out in a later book that [[spoiler:Zainal is also a high-ranking member of his homeworld's LaResistance AND due to be the next vessel for one of the body-snatching {{Evil Overlord}}s that have enslaved ''his'' people and if that happens, things will end badly for lots of people]].** This also applies to most of the humans placed on Botany. "I dropped, I stay!" becomes something of a slogan/rallying cry.* In the Literature/LandOfOz books, Dorothy returns to Kansas the first couple of times, but eventually chooses to stay in Oz (and bring her Aunt and Uncle to live with her). Except for the fact she's a child and wouldn't think of it at first, why in the world didn't she do that from the getgo? "Hey, guys, let me just pick up my folks and then I'll be back to rule with y'all."* In Michael Crichton's novel ''Literature/{{Timeline}}'', historian André Marek decides at the last minute to remain in Medieval France. In the film adaptation, this leads to his companions realizing that a grave they discovered at the beginning of the film, in the present, was his. In the book they sought it out after they got back and knew to look for it, just to get some idea how he fared.* Subverted in Beth Hilgartner's ''Colors in the Dreamweaver's Loom''; the heroine [[TrappedInAnotherWorld stranded in a fantasy world]] has grown to prefer it to her own...but a malicious trickster goddess grants her the "favor" of sending her home anyway. (For an extra dose of irony, she ends up at the airport [[ExactWords she had earlier claimed was the only home she'd ever known]].)* At the end of ''Literature/ThePeopleThatTimeForgot'' by Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs, Tom Billings, having rescued the people that he came there to save, elects to stay in the LostWorld of Caspak with his newfound love Ajor.* In Creator/GordonRDickson's ''Literature/TheDragonAndTheGeorge'', the main character Jim decides to stay in the magical medieval world in which he and his girlfriend have landed. Their modern life really wasn't all that great. And if you're thinking about the technological, medical, and social drawbacks that the medieval world would present to a modern couple? [[ShownTheirWork Don't worry, so was the author.]] It helps that Jim becomes both a magician and a baron as a result of his adventures in the first book, and that he and his wife were already medieval scholars.* Paul in Creator/GuyGavrielKay's ''Literature/TheFionavarTapestry'' chooses to stay in Fionavar at the end of ''The Darkest Road''.* ''Literature/TheChroniclesOfNarnia'':** Not explicitly stated as a willing choice in ''The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe'', where the Pevensies spend 15 years ruling Narnia and grow to adulthood, and their return to our world is unintentional. (Because of YearInsideHourOutside, not only do the Pevensies return barely after they left, they're de-aged back to children.)** ''The Last Battle'' has everyone (except Susan) return to live forever in New Narnia, [[spoiler:thanks to them all dying in a railroad accident in their own world. It's implied that Narnia and Earth connect to the same heaven, so they would have gone there anyway, but the choice was in line with this trope.]]** Jill and Eustace also request to stay in ''The Silver Chair'', though Aslan denies it at that point in time.* In ''Wizard's Bane'', the first part of Creator/RickCook's ''Literature/WizBiz'', the Wizard is abducted to a fantasy world by a summoning spell, [[SavingTheWorld saves the world]], is then given the opportunity to return home and turns it down. (Unsurprisingly, since he would have to give up both his love interest and awesome magical powers.) He fails to realize he could have ''visited'' and brought back things like reference books, programming textbooks, the recipes to his favorite foods. It wasn't totally impossible to communicate with home either or arrange for visits from there. In subsequent books more Earth people visit the World (either as contract workers or by accident) and some of them stay. Jerry stays on long term contract, so Wiz has some free time and because he is a better teacher than Wiz (though not so good as Karl). Danny found his love too. Mick is torn between his obligations as an Air Force pilot and love to a dragon rider woman; he doesn't stay, and the next opportunity appears only years later.%%* ''Literature/LabyrinthsOfEcho'' by Max Frei.* In ''Literature/CharmedLife'' by Creator/DianaWynneJones, alternate worlds come in sets of nine and there's usually a version of the same person in each world of the set. Gwendolen moves to a different world and thereby forces all her alternate selves to shift worlds too. They all find that their new circumstances suit them better than the old ones, and turn down a chance to go back.* In ''Literature/{{Neverwhere}}'' by Neil Gaiman, the hero spends the book going to considerable lengths to get the key to go home, and once back home, decides he was better in London Below. Go figure.* In ''Literature/{{Stardust}}'', Tristran chose to stay on the other side of the wall with Yvaine. He ultimately settles there and dies there. It helps that, by virtue of [[spoiler:being the last surviving male heir]], he's now [[spoiler:the Lord of Stormhold]].* This is a consistent plot point in Robin D. Owens' ''The Summoning'' series, where any native of Earth summoned to Amee must eventually face the Snap -- the call of Earth -- and choose to either return home or stay forever.* "Literature/HereThereBeTygers" by Creator/RayBradbury involves a [[GeniusLoci benevolent sentient planet]] and a team of prospectors encharmed by it. They all consider staying and one of them does.* At the end of the young adult novel ''The Ballad of Lucy Whipple'' (set in Gold Rush-era California), the titular heroine, having spent the entire book whining about how much she hates California, decides to stay there, even after being given a chance to return to her New England home.* Raymond Rambert in ''Literature/ThePlague'' is a journalist from out of town, who finds himself imprisoned when the city of Oran undergoes a [[{{Lockdown}} quarantine]] due the the plague. Initially he goes to great lengths--first speaking with officials, then coming in contact with the shady underworld--to get out of the city, but at the last moment he changes his mind and decides to stay behind and help the other protagonists in fighting the plague, because he couldn't be happy outside with the consciousness that others are still suffering behind the city walls.* In the bittersweet story ''Laura and the Silver Wolf'', the IllGirl Laura fullfills her Quest in Iceland, after which she is pulled into the real world and even feels better than before. The she Decides to go back to Iceland and stay there. This counts as TooDumbToLive [[FridgeBrilliance until You understand]] that [[spoiler: She doesn't actually have much choice. The fact that she is [[HollywoodHealing suddenly 100% healthy]] and not stopped by a nurse can only mean that she is not actually in the real world. This is likely a way for her to choose her Afterlife and she chooses [[DiedHappilyEverAfter the happier variant]] Assuming of course this isn't just a DyingDream.]]* Eileen/Merope in ''[[Literature/{{Blackout}} Blackout/All Clear]]'' by Creator/ConnieWillis stays behind in 1941 while the rest of the team return to the future. She had previously promised to ''never leave'' the children for whom she became a ParentalSubstitute, and she keeps her word. It's implied she becomes an ancestor of Colin Templar, despite being born less than ten years before him.* In one ''Literature/WarriorCats'' book, Jayfeather goes back in time to the ancient incarnation of himself. He first sees it just as part of his duty, to make sure he sets certain events in motion so that they affect the future, but then he falls in love. He wants to stay in that time period, but isn't allowed to because he's still needed in the present day.* In Creator/RickCook's ''Literature/LimboSystem'', both Father Simon and Aubery, for very different reasons.* In Creator/GeneStrattonPorter's ''Literature/{{Freckles}}'', Freckles chooses not to go with his uncle and aunt to Ireland but stay with [=McLean=], his ParentalSubstitute.* In ''Literature/SummerCelebration'', the Doctor, after having given birth to Mr. Katanís wife, chose to stay in the settlement where he and Tsiva live.* When deciding whether to stay Literature/TrappedOnDraconica or go home Ben [[spoiler: tries to TakeAThirdOption and go home but use his power to travel between worlds to visit Draconica, but Dronor says he has to take that power away. After thinking about his worried sick mother and encouragement from Erowin he decides to go home.]]* Jon-Tom, the titular ''Literature/{{Spellsinger}}'', finds a permanent way home in the sixth book, but finds life on mundane Earth boring, so he loads up on music books and chocolate-chip cookies, and returns.* In ''Literature/TheGunsOfTheSouth'', Colonel Henry Pleasants of the Union Army misses the train he was supposed to take back to Pennsylvania after being released from [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andersonville_National_Historic_Site Andersonville Prison]]. He decides to stay in the Confederate States, convinced that a talented engineer like himself would be in high demand. [[spoiler:Later in the book, he tells his friend Nate Caudell that the other reason he stayed is that he lost his wife just before the war and became something of a DeathSeeker; coming to the South gave him a new purpose in life.]]* In Creator/LarryNiven's Literature/KnownSpace saga, the Wunderland War between Humans and the Kzinti (so named because it was fought primarily on the planet Wunderland, a human colony) lasted for just over a century. At the war's conclusion, the human victors offer to repatriate several thousands of Kzinti prisoners of war. Most of them refuse to leave Wunderland because, as the kzinti character Rauragh-Sergeant explains, "This is ''our'' homeworld, too. We were born ''here''. Our kit were born and raised ''here''. Why should we want to go to a planet none of us have ever seen?"* ''Literature/TheRifter'': downplayed-- because John finds out that he cant go home from Basawar to Earth, or rather that if he did open the gate between the worlds, it would destroy Basawar, which he would never consider doing. Laurie, however, intends to open the gate; she doesnít care about destroying the world which has brought her great suffering.* The children in Creator/PamelaDean's ''Literature/TheSecretCountry'' books make various decisions at the end. This is a world that they fervently love, but not all of them want to stay there forever. Any who make the decision will have to stay forever. Three do stay, and two bring their parents with them.* At the end of ''Discworld/GoingPostal'', Moist sees an opportunity to return to his old life, and has a vision of how that would work out for him. In his own mind, he ''doesn't'' choose to stay, but instead decides that as long as he never chooses at all, he can stay as long as he likes.* ''Literature/JourneyToChaos'' Zigzags this trope. In ''[[Literature/AMagesPower A Mage's Power]]'', Eric is happy on Tariatla because he has a job he likes, a number of friends, and "Kasile will kill me if I don't go to her coronation". He has no desire to go back to Threa. Tasio says otherwise and drags him back. Thus ''Literature/LoomingShadow'' opens with Eric trying to find a way back and exploiting LoopholeAbuse to do so. Then Tasio (kinda-sorta) reveals that he wants Eric to stay here too, but an AlienNonInterferenceClause forced his action. * Amy does this in the last book of the Across the Universe trilogy. She refuses to get on the spaceship back to earth, infuriating her father. [[spoiler: Lucky for her, since everyone on the ship was gassed. Including her mother.]]* In ''A Hologram for the King'', the main character Alan Clay has to go to UsefulNotes/SaudiArabia in order to present his company's hologram program to King Abdullah and get them to do the IT for the King Abdullah Economic City. Alan ultimately chooses to stay [[spoiler:despite not getting the contract, but he's still confident that he'll convince the king to use his company in another way.]]* In ''Literature/BubbleWorld'', ultimately, Freesia chooses to stay in the real world and be a good big sister to Angel--helped along by her best friend in Bubble World being a virtual construct based off of a real friend of hers. This is also played very darkly when Ricky chooses to stay in Bubble World despite knowing that his life is at risk. * In ''Literature/HeartOfSteel'', Julia decides to stay with Alistair, who started the novel as her captor, after he has spent the entire novel risking everything to protect her from her deranged ex turned even more deranged cyborg, and after he learns to be human again.* At the end of ''Literature/{{Shiver}}'', [[spoiler:Olivia]] chooses to try and live with lycanthropy rather than gamble on an incredibly risky cure.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Live Action TV]]* In ''Series/TheTenthKingdom'', Virginia chooses to go back to New York ([[YourUniverseOrMine with Wolf, who is from the Nine Kingdoms]]), but her dad Tony decides to stay in the Nine Kingdoms. Considering the fact that he's a national hero who is good friends with King Wendell in the Nine Kingdoms and a janitor who's wanted for armed robbery in New York, it was probably a wise decision.* On ''Series/{{ALF}}'', ALF had the opportunity to leave Earth and be with his friends from his home planet, but it would mean having to miss Brian's upcoming birthday, so he stayed. The second time, he fully intended to leave, but the authorities intercepted his message and captured him just as the Melmacian ship was landing. By the wrap-up movie, he once again has no intention of leaving Earth.* When ''Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer'' is offered the chance to leave Sunnydale for college, she realizes she has no choice but to stay and fight the Hellmouth. Willow, however, does choose to stay, even when accepted to Oxford.* ''Series/DoctorWho'':** A number of the Doctor's companions leave the TARDIS by choosing to stay somewhere they visit on their travels (though not necessarily ''hating'' it when they first get there) instead of going home again, including:*** Susan (Earth in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS2E2TheDalekInvasionOfEarth "The Dalek Invasion of Earth"]], bearing in mind that Earth isn't her home planet, though arguably the Doctor makes the decision for her)*** Vicki (ancient Troy in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E3TheMythMakers "The Myth Makers"]])*** Steven (the planet of the Elders and [[Recap/DoctorWhoS3E9TheSavages "The Savages"]])*** Victoria (with the Harris family in 20[[superscript:th]] century Earth in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS5E6FuryFromTheDeep "Fury From the Deep"]])*** Leela (Gallifrey in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS15E6TheInvasionOfTime "The Invasion of Time"]])*** Romana (E-Space in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS18E5WarriorsGate "Warriors' Gate"]]. Though this is her official departure on-screen, it is well-chronicled in the ExpandedUniverse that she eventually comes back and becomes Lady President of Gallifrey.)*** Nyssa (Terminus in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS20E4Terminus "Terminus"]], although [[spoiler:she doesn't have a home to go back to anyway.]])*** Mel (Iceworld in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS24E4Dragonfire "Dragonfire"]])*** Mickey Smith in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS28E6TheAgeOfSteel "The Age of Steel"]]. [[JustifiedTrope Justified]] in that in the alternate reality Mickey he replaced wasn't an aimless loser, and his beloved Gran was still alive. He had a lot more to live for there than in normal reality. He later returned to his home universe after the alternate Gran died.** The Doctor himself was once an example of this trope. He has always loved Earth, but the Third Doctor hated being exiled there and was constantly trying to get the TARDIS working again. After the exile was lifted, however, he decided that he liked having a home and continued to spend most of his time on twentieth-century Earth. It wasn't until he regenerated into the Fourth Doctor that he decided to resume his wanderings.* In ''Series/{{Elementary}}'', Joan at the end of "M" [[spoiler: calls Sherlock's father to ask for an extension after her six weeks with Sherlock was over. Her request is denied but she continues to stay without pay anyways. She lies to Sherlock that his father granted her extension, but he figures out the truth and offers her to stay on as his apprentice]].* The first 3 1/2 seasons of ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' are all about John's efforts to get back to Earth. However, when he finally gets there, he realizes that A) he's changed too much to stick around and B) the bad guys aren't going to stop going after him so he has to leave to protect Earth. He takes it a step further in the series finale when he [[spoiler:closes the wormhole to Earth permanently so the bad guys can't get there... but that means he can never go back. Made even worse since he knows that it's his fault that the Scarrans are even after Earth, having accidentally told their Emperor that there's plenty of their mind-boosting plant on Earth]].* In ''Series/FreeSpirit'', Winnie comes to Earth solely to perform "public service" by helping Gene Harper win a bowling tournament. However, after he wins the tournament, she decides to stick around as a MagicalNanny and housekeeper.* ''Series/GameOfThrones'':** In "Two Swords", Jaime outright refuses Tywin's ''command'' that he accept a release from the Kingsguard to become Lord Paramount of the Westerlands.** In "First of His Name", Daenerys chooses to remain in Slaver's Bay to deal with the chaos her campaign has wrought.** Jon turns down Stannis' offer to legitimize him as Jon Stark, something he has wanted his whole life, out of his sense of duty to the Nightís Watch and realizing that the political squabbling among the kingdoms is nothing compared to the impending threat of the White Walkers and their army of the dead.* Subverted in one episode of ''Series/HoneyIShrunkTheKids'': The TV Series. Amy develops a boyfriend after she time travels into the '60s. However her time watch has a fail safe that'll activate and transport her home after a given time. After a bit of this, Amy decides to stay in the past permanently, sending her watch back in the process. However we find out that the fail-safe was due to the fact that anyone who stayed in the past for too long would be frozen and combust (sorta the timeline's own failsafe). Wayne is force to go back into the past and retrieve her before that happens.* In ''Series/TheInvisibleMan'', after Darien has the Quicksilver gland implanted in his brain, he's forced to work for the Agency because the gland has the inconvenient side effect of causing insanity and eventual death, and they have the only antidote, which needs to be administered regularly. He spends two seasons trying to find a way to either have the gland removed (which they can't do without killing him) or fix the (deliberate) design flaw. Then, in the series finale, [[spoiler: the gland is fixed and he doesn't need the antidote anymore, so he leaves to work for the FBI. Then he realizes the FBI are woefully inadequate at dealing with the unbelievable threats he's accustomed to, so he agrees to come back to the Agency and [[HoYay his partner]] at the end, albeit with some demands.]]* In the final episode of ''Series/{{Life on Mars|2006}}'', [[spoiler: Sam finally gets back to 2006 -- but finds himself bored and unsatisfied there, so returns to rescue his friends in 1973. By jumping off a building and killing himself.]]* Lots of characters on ''Series/{{Lost}}'' choose to stay on the island, and some of those who've left want to ''go back''. The first to declare that they're going to stay (before the Jack/Locke split) are Rose and Bernard, who join Jack's group but have no interest in leaving because [[spoiler:Rose's cancer is cured on the Island and she would die if she left. Eventually, they "retire" to a cabin in the jungle.]] In the GrandFinale, [[spoiler:Jack, Hurley, and Ben choose to stay behind to save the Island from the Man in Black's EvilPlan. Jack [[HeroicSacrifice dies heroically]] and Hurley and Ben choose to stay behind and take up his charge as the caretakers of the Island. And then in the "flash-sideways" afterlife, everyone decides to AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence except for Ben, who decides he's going to stay behind and work things out with Alex and Danielle before he joins everyone else in wherever they all end up]].* ''Series/LostInAusten'': Amanda and Elizabeth Bennet changed places; Amanda going to Regency England and Elizabeth to modern-day London in the New Tens. Both decided to stay in the new place.* ''Series/{{MASH}}'':** The most prominent example probably comes from the series finale, where Max Klinger, after spending the entire series trying to get discharged from the Army to return home from Korea, elects to stay with his new bride. This was a temporary thing so Soon-Lee (''Star Trek'' alum Rosalind Chao) could find her family, if they were even still alive. In the sequel they found them living in, no surprise, deplorable conditions, helped them out a bit, and when they came to the US, sent money back and tried to arrange for immigration status. The shock came not from Klinger moving to Korea for good. It came from him not bolting back to Toledo the instant the war ended.** In "The Late Captain Pierce", Hawkeye gets an opportunity to leave when the Army declares him officially dead. He nearly does so, but at the last minute changes his mind. (Although, to be fair, this is depicted as owing to Hawkeye's sense of duty as a physician rather than any newly-discovered affection for his surroundings.) And the fact that the army would have charged him with desertion, once they got their paperwork straightened out, had nothing to do with it.** Radar nearly does this in his final episode, fearing that the unit will fall apart without him. However, when he realizes that Klinger is able to adequately fill what had been Radar's role, he happily takes his discharge.* Played straight: ''Series/{{Neverwhere}}'', where after getting his life back in London Above, Richard decides to go back to London Below. To be fair, there's a certain amount of ambiguity as to whether Richard really went back or just totally lost it.* ''Series/QuantumLeap'': In the final episode, Sam is told he could go back home anytime he wanted to, but the last words of the show reveal that he never did. It's implied that he would go back in a second, if he remembered that he still had a wife waiting for him in his own time.* Jonas Quinn from ''Series/StargateSG1''. He later undoes this with a ButNowIMustGo.* In the ''Series/StargateUniverse'' episode "Twin Destinies", when the crew of ''Destiny'' are about to go home, Rush asks for 10 people to join him and Young in staying behind. Most of the main cast elect to do so. [[spoiler:It was an AlternateUniverse, and they all ended up on a random planet 2000 years in the past.]]* In a rather excellent episode of ''Series/StarTrekEnterprise'' named "Carbon Creek", a group of Vulcans get trapped on Earth in the 1950's, specifically in a Pennsylvania mining town. While the other two Vulcans cannot wait to get off this primitive and backward rock, the third Vulcan becomes enamored of the planet, developing a fondness for baseball, ''Series/ILoveLucy'', and even getting something of a human girlfriend. Of course, by the time the Vulcans send a ship to retrieve them, he claims this trope.* ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'': In the two-part episode "Unification", Picard discovers that Spock has gone to Romulus. But, when he finally finds him, he sees that Spock has been helping a youth movement interested in reunifying with their Vulcan cousins. Though, the movement is undermined by the Romulan government, Spock tells Picard that he'll stay to help them start over.-->'''Spock:''' An inexorable evolution toward a Vulcan philosophy has already begun. Like the first Vulcans, these people are struggling to a new enlightenment and it may take decades or even centuries for them to reach it but they will reach itÖ and I must help.* ''Series/OnlyFoolsAndHorses'': In the fifth series finale "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?", Del Boy decides to stay in England with Rodney and Uncle Albert, rather than go to Australia with his friend Jumbo Mills to run a car business.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Machinima]]* Dutchmiller makes this choice at the end of ''The Strangerhood'' to stay with Catherine and raise their child.-->'''Dutchmiller:''' I'm not going. My place is here now.\\'''Catherine:''' Oh Dutch, do you really mean that?\\'''Dutchmiller:''' Are we still in danger of being burned alive?\\'''Catherine:''' No.\\'''Dutchmiller:''' Then absolutely.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Music]]* Music/DoctorSteel, "Land of the Lost":-->In the Land of the Lost\\In the Land of the Lost I rock\\And Iím never going back, never going back\\Cause now I rock in the Land of the Lost[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theatre]]* In ''Theatre/{{Brigadoon}}'', it is explained that people from the outside world are ''not'' trapped in Brigadoon, unlike its inhabitants. But if they really desire to live there forever, ThePowerOfLove will let them stay. And so Tommy ultimately decides to go back to Scotland rather than settling down with his [[DisposableFiance Disposable Fiancée]].[[/folder]]

[[folder:Theme Parks]]* ''[=CineMagique=]'' at [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Walt Disney Studios Paris]], is about a man getting teleported into the world of film, and while trying to escape he forms a relationship with a princess, who at the end is unable to come into the real world with him, so he decides to remain in the film world so he can be with her.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Video Games]]* In ''VideoGame/AStoryAboutMyUncle'': After thinking about it for some time [[spoiler:Maddie]] decides to stay with [[spoiler:the Strays]]. The same thing happens to [[spoiler:Fred]], after the main character convinced him to. * ''VideoGame/FatalFrame 1'': In the True ending, Mafuyu chooses to stay with the ghost of Kirie, to comfort her and provide her with companionship as she spends eternity keeping a HellGate shut. Later games imply that he died down there.* Happens to the main character at the end of ''VideoGame/PokemonMysteryDungeonRescueTeam''. [[spoiler:S/he is literally able to keep from returning to the human world just by ''wishing'' hard enough. The decision is also justified by them having no memory of their human existence.]]* In ''VideoGame/RivieraThePromisedLand'', [[spoiler:Ein will choose to stay in Riviera if the love meter of any of the girls is high enough. Otherwise, he will return to Asgard with Rose]].* After the events of ''VideoGame/TheLongestJourney'', April Ryan has developed the ability to shift between Stark (her home) and Arcadia at will. But she becomes so embroiled in a war in Arcadia that she never returns to Stark and eventually loses the ability to. She is still there, with no regrets, in the sequel ''VideoGame/DreamfallTheLongestJourney''. In Stark, April was a poor art student with few prospects and many daddy issues. In Arcadia, she was a savior to many and is still a major figure in LaResistance. The only thing left for her in Stark are two friends, and those have long ago moved on with their lives. [[spoiler:She's killed at the end of the second game and buried in the third]].* The suboptimal good ending of ''VideoGame/NeverwinterNights2: Mask of the Betrayer'' has the player forced to stay in the city of the dead to stop the spirit eater curse from passing on. Your LoveInterest will stay too ([[CrowningMomentOfHeartwarming which leads to a really very heartwarming moment if the character is female and completed the romance with Gann]]).* Ninian in ''[[VideoGame/FireEmblemElibe Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword]]'', if you get her to A support with Eliwood. [[spoiler: Even knowing her lifespan will be greatly shortened by staying on Elibe.]]** Also, in ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' [[spoiler: in her solo ending [[ShrinkingViolet Noire]] decides to stay with her mother Tharja, her father, and later her baby self. It's speculated whether she did it to keep an eye on the [[{{Yandere}} mentally unstable]] [[ParentalNeglect Tharja]] [[MommyIssues so she won't neglect/abuse her child self]], to prove that her complicated relationship with her mom has been mended, or (most likely) a mix of all the above.]] ** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', if [[spoiler: a female Avatar marries Odin or Laslow in the Revelations route, they will stay and rule Valla with them, rather than return to their home, the world of Awakening, permanently. Notably, the other Ylissean character, Selena, doesn't have a special epilogue and uses her usual epilogue ending, though it can be assumed she would stay as well, due to the fact that the male Avatar is still King of Valla.]]* At the end of ''VideoGame/ValkyrieProfile2Silmeria'', [[spoiler: the pocket dimension created by [[BigBad Lezard Valeth]] within Yggdrasil begins to break down upon his death. The immortal vampire Brahms, realizing he has become mortal in this dimension, willingly stays behind to die.]]* ''VideoGame/TalesOfHearts'' does a "normal" variation sometime in the middle of the game. The quest passes through the hometown of party mage Beryl, who has every reason to stay: the quest is outrageously dangerous, she wants to be with her Gramma, she wants to protect said hometown, etc -- and yet she finds she can't just let her TrueCompanions walk out of her life.* Happens in ''spades'' in ''VideoGame/SuperRobotWarsAdvance''. Both protagonists Axel Almer or Lamia Loveless infiltrated the enemy group, one that supports peace instead of [[WarForFunAndProfit eternal war]] as their former group Shadow Mirror wished, but due to other circumstances, they end up unwittingly molding with the community and agreeing with their ideals, thus when the Shadow Mirror calls them to betray the old party and return to them, they chose to stay on the new group, having agreeing to the new ideals and betray the Shadow Mirror.* The narrator of the Saladin campaign in VideoGame/AgeOfEmpiresII who was captive for 20 years decides to stay and explore the Middle East after the 3rd crusade ends.* Thomas of ''VideoGame/SuikodenIII'' was kind of forced to become the master of a castle. But when he finds out he can no longer stay at the castle, he decides to stay despite the consequences.* [[spoiler:Saber in UBW Good End and Rider in HF True End]] in ''VisualNovel/FateStayNight'', the first more so than than the latter because up until that point we constantly heard that it was not going to happen. [[spoiler:Archer was sort of tempted to in the UBW endings, but only because he didn't want to make Tohsaka sad. But there was no place for him, and even one Servant is hard enough to support without the Grail. It didn't stop her from trying to get him to stay, but stops and realizes that if even if he did stay that he couldn't be saved from the ideal that ultimately betrayed him.]]** ''VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}}'' does this as well with Ciel. Despite the implication or perhaps statement that she was going to leave/already ''had'' left in the closest-to-canon ending, she's still around in Kagetsu Tohya. Apparently, she has to go stamp out the evil Dead roaming around. You know, the ones that are completely mindless mooks and barely a threat to muggles when the Church doesn't care about them anyway. Apparently it just wouldn't be safe unless she stayed for at least a full year after Roa is gone. *Cough** Inverted in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'', in that [[spoiler: Tidus]] would choose to stay but (depending on how you take the sequel) must leave [[spoiler: along with the Aeons]].** Also totally defied with [[spoiler: Auron. As Yuna is preforming the ceremony to send Sin's corpse to the Farplane she stops when she sees Auron disappearing too. He makes her to keep going telling her "This...is your world now."]]* At the end of the second ''JakAndDaxter'' game, everone decides to stay in the BadFuture because [[StableTimeLoop it's actually the present and young Jak has to go back in time anyway]].* ''VideoGame/BrutalLegend'' has perhaps the fastest use of this trope ever. Eddie Riggs finds himself sucked into a world based entirely off of heavy metal, full of blood, fire, noise and metal, and he loves it. Someone asks him about fifteen minutes into the game if he shouldn't be focusing on getting back to his own world and he dismissively snorts at the notion without a second thought.* [[spoiler:Kyouko and Kouin]] in ''VisualNovel/EienNoAselia'' choose to stay at the end, though Kaori decides to go home [[spoiler:without her brother, who is neither staying or returning, exactly.]]* In Act 1 of ''VideoGame/DragonAgeII'', Ferelden is being rebuilt after the end of the Blight, and Aveline and Fenris both wonder whether Hawke might return home instead of staying on in Kirkwall. Hawke can express some interest in the idea, but events ensure they remain in Kirkwall for the duration of the game. * [[spoiler:Tezkhra]] in ''VideoGame/TheReconstruction''.* ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaSkywardSword'': in the end, the Hero of [[FanNickname the Goddess/Hylia/Legend/Rebirth/the Master Sword]] and the Zelda [[EternalRecurrence of that era]] decide to stay on the surface rather than returning to [[FloatingContinent Skyloft]]. It's a ForegoneConclusion, considering [[{{Prequel}} this game's place on the timeline]].* [[spoiler:Rika]] in ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'' chooses to stay with [[spoiler:Chaz]] at the end of the game, and is warned that life will be painful and difficult but that [[spoiler:she]] is their hope. Ultimately, that is because [[spoiler:she was created to give humanity a chance to survive through her genetically-enhanced bloodline, in anticipation of the remaining climate control systems from the Mother Brain-era failing. In effect, Rika and Chaz are part of an AdamAndEvePlot, sort of.]]* Tarnum in ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMightAndMagic'' damned his soul in the first episode of the ''Chronicles'' series, and spent the rest of his now immortal existence righting wrongs in an attempt to redeem himself. In the Might campaign of Heroes IV, Tarnum finally proves himself worthy to enter paradise after he helps a young barbarian reunite the scattered Barbarian tribes without repeating Tarnum's past mistakes. Tarnum refuses the afterlife and stays to provide further guidance for his people.* Implied for future plans in ''VideoGame/BlazBlue''. At the end of one of her story branches in ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCalamityTrigger Calamity Trigger]]'', Litchi Faye-Ling is asked that if she ever finds the cure for Arakune, she'll just go back being a scientist in Sector Seven. Her response? She already chose to settle at Orient Town permanently once it's over, people needed her there. [[spoiler:In the end of ''[[VideoGame/BlazBlueCentralFiction Central Fiction]]'', she fulfilled this after coming to a conclusion about finding the cure (she didn't find it, but is convinced to return to her normal friends).]]* A line during the ending video for ''ReturnToZork'' implies that the player character has come to see the Great Underground Empire as their home and intends to stay there.* In ''Ring Out!! Pro Lesring'', the protagonist decides to stay in the Pro Lesring tournament.* In ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'', you can attempt this. [[spoiler: Flowey won't let you.]]** In the True Ending, you can try again. You succeed this time. [[spoiler: Unless you sold your soul, of course.]]* A plotline from ''VideoGame/HometownStory'' has a foreign girl wash up on the village beach and get taken in by the local fisherman. The two eventually develop feelings for each other, but the girl also becomes increasingly homesick. The player character eventually acquires a boat ticket that can bring the girl back home and the fisherman purchases it in a surge of IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy. One DeusExMachina-inducing item later, the boat ticket is thrown in the ocean by the girl and she decides to live in the village permanently.* Some heartwarming moments in the ''VisualNovel/ShallWeDate'' series features a Happy Ending with TheHeroine staying with her love interest.** Two Endings in ''VisualNovel/ShallWeDateMyFairyTales'' feature this. However, for the best results, make sure you get the Sweet Ending.** The True End in ''VisualNovel/ShallWeDateOz'' is the only ending with this option.* The hero of ''VideoGame/TachyonTheFringe'', Jake Logan, who was wrongfully exiled from Sol, will choose to settle down with his MissionControl love interest at the end of the game if he sides with the [[LaResistance Bora]]. Averted if he sides with [[MegaCorp Galspan]], who will instead reward him with a ticket back home.* Happens during the intro to ''VideoGame/CirqueDeZale'', with Alexander deciding that he would rather stay in the alternate world and start a circus rather than go back to his homeworld. Justified since Alexander's life sucked in his previous world, so having a chance to start anew seemed quite appealing to him. Later on in the game, [[spoiler:Alexander chooses to stay ''again'', this time on a deserted island]].* At the end of ''VisualNovel/PhoenixWrightAceAttorneySpiritOfJustice'', [[spoiler:Apollo chooses to stay in Khura'in and help oversee the reconstruction of the nation's justice system rather than return to [[FanNickname Japanifornia]] with Phoenix and Athena]]. [[/folder]]

[[folder:Webcomics]]* In the ''Webcomic/PennyArcade'' strip [[http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2013/02/01/we-can-help ''We Can Help'']], the ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'' movie ends with the nerd deciding that he belongs in Azeroth instead of the real world. Cue emotional goodbye.* WordOfGod says that the ''Webcomic/SluggyFreelance'' StoryArc "Aylee" was originally supposed to end with Aylee choosing to remain behind in the [[AnotherDimension alternate dimension]]. But when the time actually came to do it, [[IJustWriteTheThing the author realized]] that the decision just wouldn't have fit Aylee's character, so he had her return home with Torg instead.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Web Original]]* "[[WebAnimation/HowItShouldHaveEnded How Thor Should Have Ended]]" has Film/{{Thor}} decide to stay on Midgard with [[HotScientist Jane Foster]] instead of go back to Asgard and fight Loki.* WebVideo/TheNostalgiaCritic in WebVideo/ToBoldlyFlee. Being selfish and stepping out into the real world where he could just be normal is achingly tempting, but he instead decides to grow up, apologize to Ma-Ti for treating him so bad, and take on the PlotHole to save his friends.* [[WebOriginal/SCPFoundation SCP-1230]] ("[[http://www.scp-wiki.net/scp-1230 A Hero Is Born]]") is a book that provides an extremely complex dream world where the reader is the hero, and can spend hundreds of years in the dream. However, the book itself is quite insistent that nobody pull an IChooseToStay. It got very upset when [[ThisLoserIsYou one researcher couldn't handle going back to reality after spending two hundred years in his personal fantasy and committed suicide]]. It also doesn't really appreciate people hurting killing themselves in the dream.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Western Animation]]* In ''WesternAnimation/Ben10AlienForce'', [[spoiler:Grandpa Max]] chooses to stay in the Null Void and help the inhabitants recover from the depredations of D'Void [[spoiler:aka Dr. Animo]].** In ''Ultimate Alien'', [[spoiler: Charmcaster]] stays behind in her home dimension, sealed off from the outside world forever, in hopes of finally freeing it from its evil ruler.* In the last episode of ''WesternAnimation/{{Blackstar}},'' a rescue ship from Earth (piloted by Blackstar's beautiful girlfriend, no less) navigates the black hole, finds John Blackstar on Sagar, and offers to take him home. He very nearly takes her up on it, but he finally decides that he's too important to the natives' rebellion against the Overlord, and he chooses to stay. The last scene is her returning to Earth, and sending a message ahead that she wants to come back with proper military forces to help John defeat the Overlord.* The pilot of ''WesternAnimation/CaptainNTheGameMaster''. After saving the day, Kevin is offered the choice to return to Earth. He chooses to remain in Videoland, where he is a superhero hanging out with a hot princess and his favorite videogame characters, rather than go back to Earth, where he is a normal boy having to deal with chores, school, and a nagging mother.* In the two-part ''WesternAnimation/GIJoeARealAmericanHero'' episode "World Without End", several Joes find themselves in an AlternateUniverse where Cobra took over the world. Steeler, Clutch, and Grunt are terrified to find skeletal remains with dogtags with their own names; clearly, whatever Cobra did, their own counterparts in this world didn't survive it. Steeler eventually finds out that this isn't the only difference; in this reality, the Baroness is a double-agent, who was also his counterpart's lover in this world. After she and the heroes are able to help start what she calls "the First Cobra Civil War", and they find a way back to their world, Steeler decides to stay behind with her, saying there's really no-one waiting for him back home; Clutch and Grunt choose to stay behind too, upset at what happened to their alternate selves hoping to help bring Cobra down. * In ''WesternAnimation/HeManAndTheMastersOfTheUniverse1983'', Queen Marlena was once an astronaut from Earth who crash-landed on Eternia. When her ship was repaired, she decided to stay, because she and King Randor had fallen in love. She married him and became his Queen. In the episode "Visitors From Earth", astronauts from Earth crash-land on Eternia. When their ship was repaired, they offered to take Marlena back with them, but she said her place was with her beloved family.* In an episode of ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeague Unlimited'', Supergirl, Green Lantern, and Green Arrow are abducted into the future to team up with the ComicBook/LegionOfSuperHeroes. Supergirl elects to stay in the future afterward, thus pulling a ProphecyTwist, since the Legion's records said she disappeared from the present, which they had previously interpreted to mean she'd die.* At the end of ''WesternAnimation/LeroyAndStitch'', Stitch, Pleakly and Jumba decide to forgo the chance to leave Earth and stay as members of Lilo's TrueCompanions.* In the 2-part series premiere of ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyFriendshipIsMagic'', Twilight Sparkle goes from thinking all the other ponies in Ponyville are ''crazy'' and wanting nothing more than to finish her job and return to Canterlot, to wanting to stay where all her newfound friends are.** In a way, this is mirrored with ''WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirls'': Sunset Shimmer had been planning to return to Equestria with a brainwashed army in tow, but after her being defeated, stays in the human world to learn about friendship from the [[FanNickname Humane Five]]. By the second movie, she has decided to remain in the human world: both to stay with her friends and as a form of self-exile to atone for her mistakes.*** The DeletedScenes from [[WesternAnimation/MyLittlePonyEquestriaGirlsFriendshipGames the third movie]] revolve mostly around a subplot in which Sunset starts to reconsider this, leading to an AlternateEnding in which [[spoiler: she again chooses to stay]].* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels'':** [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E14LegacyOfMandalore "Legacy of Mandalore"]]: At the end, after reconnecting with her family, Sabine chooses to stay behind to build the Mandalorian Resistance against the Empire.** [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E15ThroughImperialEyes "Through Imperial Eyes"]]: The rebels mount an operation to rescue [[spoiler:[[ReverseMole Agent Kallus]]]] because his cover is in danger. [[spoiler:At the end, he chooses to stay because he believes he can do more from the inside, unaware that Grand Admiral Thrawn is now aware of his treachery and plans to FeedTheMole.]]* ''WesternAnimation/TransformersPrime'': Ratchet opts to remain on Earth, helping humanity reverse engineer Cybertronian technology to defend against Decepticons. This is ''after'' Cybertron is restored to habitable status.[[/folder]]

[[folder:Real Life]]* As described in ''An Anthropologist On Mars'', a painter received a concussion from a car accident. Afterwards, he was unable to see in colors, and couldn't read written words. Though he recovered his ability to read, he remained completely colorblind. Not only that, but he was unable to remember color; he knew what colors things originally were, but he could not see them in his mind. The whole world resembled a "dirty" ashen world to him, and he fell into a depression for a while. After a year or two, though, he saw his vision as being "more refined" than "normal" vision. When a suggestion was made at this time about a surgery that could possibly restore his color vision, he turned it down, preferring to stay in the world he had grown used to rather than to readjust to the old world.* British criminals [[SentencedToDownUnder were once often exiled to Australia]]. Many chose to stay, leading to their modern descendants. Today, roughly one in five Australians have convict ancestry. * Many American soldiers decided to stay in Europe and continue their lives there after either UsefulNotes/WorldWarI or UsefulNotes/WorldWarII, with particular mention to black soldiers who found that Western Europe lacked the widespread racism of America.* In the 1960s, Fred Rogers hired Ernie Coombs to work as his understudy in Canada to do an early version of ''Series/MisterRogersNeighborhood'' on the Creator/{{CBC}} TV network. After three years, Rogers decided to return to the US, but Coombs decided to stay in Canada and created his own landmark children's TV series, ''Series/MrDressup''.* Subverted by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he was offered to be Italyís Minister of Finance but chose to stay home. It turned out [[BlatantLies he was never offered the position in the first place]].* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timoleon Timoleon]] of Corinth, after removing the tyrant Dionysius II from Syracuse, chose to stay there rather than return home, because he was a tyrannicide in both cities, but at home, he was also a fratricide (he brought down a Corinthian tyrant who was his brother, so naturally the people's reaction was mixed to the extreme).* Chris Christie was a fairly popular governor in UsefulNotes/NewJersey (and a rare Republican one at that) in 2011 when there was speculation that he might run for President. Christie had to have a press conference to say he was not going to run, citing that he felt it was better to put his duties as governor and the state rather than use his short stint as govenor to springboard to a better office.* Kalaupapa, Hawaii was founded in 1866 as a leper colony where Hawaiians with Hansen's disease--aka leprosy--were sent until 1969 as treatment became readily available. When they tried to close the colony however, many former patients wished to stay because they knew their disfigurements would make returning to normal society [[YouCantGoHomeAgain all but impossible]], plus they had formed a supportive community amongst themselves. As a result, Kalaupapa remained open and the patients have been allowed to live there for the rest of their lives. As of the 2010 census, less than a dozen of the original patients remain, all quite elderly. When the last one moves or passes away, the state plans on turning Kalaupapa into a national park and memorial.[[/folder]]